1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-functional device having a printer function, facsimile function, scanner function and copying function, and more particularly to such a device constructed with an outer casing that can be opened to perform such operations as replacing the ink cartridge in the recording section.
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices having multiple functions, such as those of a printer, facsimile, image scanner, and copier, are known in the art. FIG. 1 shows an external view of this type of device. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the basic inner construction of such a device.
This multi-functional device 200 includes an image reading unit 4 for reading images from a document; a recording section 5 for recording images on a recording medium; a recording paper cassette 6 mounted on the back portion of the device 200 for maintaining recording paper to be supplied to the recording section 5; a control panel 7 disposed on the top surface of the image reading unit 4; and a document support portion 9 disposed on the back portion of the image reading unit 4 for supporting facsimile or copy originals. The document support portion 9 is capable of rotating in the direction from the front of the device toward the back of the device to open a space above the recording section 5.
In addition, a document discharge portion 10 is provided on the front surface of the device 200. A document discharge tray 12 is disposed on the document discharge portion 10. A recording paper discharge portion 13 is disposed on the lower portion of the document discharge portion 10. A recording paper discharge tray 14 is mounted on the recording paper discharge portion 13. With a multi-functional device 200 of this construction, operations such as replacing the ink cartridge in the recording section 5 can be performed by rotating the document support portion 9 to open a space above the recording section 5, allowing access to the ink cartridge from above.
When rotating the document support portion 9 to open a space above the recording section 5 with a multi-functional device 200 of this construction, however, in order to create sufficient space for the ink cartridge replacement operation, the image reading unit 4 must be provided separately from the recording section 5, and nothing can be positioned above the recording section 5. Hence, the depth of the device must inevitably be a large dimension.